The move has brought newfound life to Hancock’s career. A ninth-round pick by the San Diego Padres, Hancock spent his first six professional seasons as a starter. While he had some success in that role, injuries kept him from truly thriving. A right forearm strain limited him to just 13 games in 2014 and cost him most of the 2016 season.

So before the start of the 2016 season, the Padres decided to move him to the bullpen. Hancock embraced the move but struggled early on, compiling a 5.23 ERA after the first month in Double-A. As he kept struggling and his ERA kept rising, Hancock began to worry that his career in baseball was in danger. He had so much doubt, he even wondered if he’d have to go back to college.

“I had a 6.00 (ERA) in Double-A,” Hancock said. “Other guys had zeros and I’m, like, 'What the hell am I going to do?' "

He didn’t have to find out. On May 8, the Padres sent Hancock to the Cubs in a trade for outfielder Matt Sczcur. The Cubs placed him with Double-A Tennessee, where he got another chance to turn things around.

“When I got traded over here, I was, like, 'OK, I’ve got new life,' ” Hancock said. “I feel like that kind of gave me some confidence, a little bit, and I feel like I kind of skyrocketed from there a little bit.”

The fresh start helped. Hancock went 1-2 with a 4.41 ERA in 16 appearances with Tennessee, finishing the season in Iowa, where he went 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in 17 appearances. While the numbers are unusually impressive, the potential Hancock showed with an impressive fastball was even more so.

Hancock, who typically sat between 92 and 95 miles per hour, saw his velocity jump to the high 90s when he moved to the bullpen. He even touched 100 twice during a game in early April last season.

Hancock, who didn't have to save anything for starts anymore, was free to let loose with every throw. He also credits his jump in velocity to a more dedicated regimen of taking care of his arm and preparing it for outings.

Justin Hancock is one of the hardest throwing pitchers for the Iowa Cubs this season.(Photo: Dylan Heuer/Iowa Cubs)

But the Cubs thought the velocity would only get Hancock so far. They gave him two big things to work on during the offseason: his control and his arm angle, when it came to throwing sliders. Hancock was told that the Cubs wanted to see him work in the zone more. They also wanted to see him throw his slider at the same arm angle as his fastball and changeup.

He worked on both, and when he showed up at spring training as one of the Cubs' non-roster invitees, he'd made progress, compiling a 3.52 ERA with eight strikeouts in 7.2 innings. He even earned the praise of Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who reportedly told him he had the best arm he’s heard of.

“My expectation, coming into spring training was, 'Hey, they’re going to give me a shot,' ” Hancock said. “They gave me certain things to work on in the offseason and I did that. I kind of exceeded those expectations, going into spring training. I just competed well and I think it kind of showed, and they were happy with the results.”

Now, Hancock hopes to carry that success over into the regular season. If he can, he could eventually land his first big-league promotion.

“He’s going to be one of the most exciting arms in the league to watch,” said Iowa catcher Taylor Davis.